The Red Sox' designated hitter hit .309 with 29 homers and 96 RBIs last season, but the newly positioned Sox general manager, Ben Cherington, didn't offer him a multi-year deal. Instead, he offered Ortiz arbitration. They agreed to a one-year, $14.575 million deal, a $2.025 million raise from the year before.

"It was humiliating," Ortiz said. "There's no reason a guy like me should go through that. ... And yet they don't hesitate to sign other guys. It was embarrassing."

Ortiz, who is in his 10th year with the Red Sox, was the team's only All-Star Game selection this year. He's hitting .302 with 22 home runs and 55 RBIs.

Cherington said in an e-mail to USA Today the Red Sox would not look to start negotiations on an extension during the season.